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Thread: Bulged Barrel Fix TC Hawken

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Bulged Barrel Fix TC Hawken

    I have a TC hawken 50 with a bulged barrel. You can feel the bulge on the outside of the barrel as well as when loading a PRB, it becomes very loose at the point of the bulge. Is there any fix for this or is the barrel trash? The bulge is just forward of the rear sight. Thanks for any input.

  2. #2
    Boolit Mold
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    Cut it off? If you have room and still have enough barrel.

    Agrotom

  3. #3
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    Depending where its at, you could always cut the barrel down. Or just leave it. Had a .22 with a bulged barrel and she shot just fine.

  4. #4
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    A friend went to the anvil with a four pound hammer. Got rid of the bulge, still shoots good. If you can, find a blacksmith to do it, they have less chance of going too far.
    The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
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  5. #5
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    you could also have it bored out & relined. if it was closer to the muzzle I'd say just carbine-ize it.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master
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    That's a lot to cut off and re-breach. I like the hammer / anvil idea and would go there first. If that doesn't work, Id consider Bob Hoyt and pick a new caliber. He can bore it out and give you rifling dedicated to either round ball or conical boolits use. I'm sure he could duplicate the middle of the road rifling if you switch from RB to conical and back. Having a proper twist rate for round ball is the best thing I've done for some of my ML's. Since it's buggered up, now is a good excuse to have a custom barrel made for it. Besides, Bob isn't prohibitively expensive.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master scattershot's Avatar
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    Bubba has a good idea, let Bob Hoyt reline it. Unless it really bothers you to look at it, I'd just try shooting it and see where you are first, before doing anything.
    "Experience is a series of non-fatal mistakes"


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  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    how does it shoot ? I have a brno .22 with two bulges one in front of the chamber the other about the end forearm. it will still shot the thumb tacks out at 50 yd.

    I have seen the hammer work but you need a little heat to relieve stress. the final option is a rebore or a liner if you want to keep the same cal.

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    thanks for the suggestions so far. shortening the barrel is out of the question due to where it is bulged, too far back. also havent hardly shot it, wasnt sure how safe it was to do. if its still safe to shoot, maybe i'll do some shooting and see if its even worth messing with. any ballpark ideas money wise what a rebore would cost? thanks again for the ideas.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master Sasquatch-1's Avatar
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    Check out Track Of The Wolf. They have prices for both liners and barrels.

    https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Category.aspx/632
    A vote for anyone other then the conservative candidates is a vote for the liberal candidates.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    Yes, I would shoot it first, for it would take a really large bulge to impose any danger. Sometimes a bulge makes no discernible difference - it depends on things like how far back, how big a bulge and how lucky a person you are. What won't work with a grooved and lubed bullet may work with a cloth patched ball, or substantial wadding behind the bullet may make all the difference.

    I don't know if enlarging the bore would leave uncomfortably thin metal over sight or stock key dovetails. Also the breech plug ought to abut on a reasonably wide shoulder to keep gases out of the threads. I don't think you could get a gas leak that way, but fouling there could cause corrosion. It could easily require a larger than .54 bore diameter, and I would want at least ⅝in. threads for that, with larger being better.

    I've used those Track of the Wolf liners, and they are extremely good. With no chambering needed, it is within the capacity of the amateur, and you would feel better about that than just handing over cash to someone. They are made by Mike Sayers of TJ's, and good as Track are for most things, I don't grudge Mike the profit on buying direct via sayersms@fuse.net .

    Take a look on eBay for rotabroach, and you would see the tool I would use, after amputating the larger diameter butt end with a cutting disc. You pull it through with a reversible drill, silver soldered to a guide rod with a bushing to centre it, and fix the liner with soft solder, epoxy or one of the bearing-fitting grades of Loctite.

  12. #12
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    buldged barrel

    PM sent

  13. #13
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    I had a friend bulged a barrel on a 38-50 and couldn't tell any difference in accuracy. I have a 38-40 with a slight bulge, you can feel it when cleaning but can't see it and it shoots fine. I also bulged a barrel on a 45 auto and didn't even know it till I cleaned it and it had been shot in several matches that way with no noticeable loss of accuracy.
    It seems as if you are looking for an excuse to line it or re-barrel it and there is nothing wrong with that either. Lord knows I have bought guns just because I had dies and brass picked up in a trade and that was a good enough excuse to warrant another safe queen.

    Bob
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  14. #14
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    that bulged spot will very slowly get worse and then one day let go. cut or reline, accuracy isnt the problem here. safety is.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    how bad is the bulged spot? is it really blowed out or just a bump. just a bump it is not going to get worse. if it is that week then a rebore will not make it stronger. I have shot bulged barrels with no problems.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    Could have it bore up to a 54 cal or bored smooth and relined back to 50 cal or do nothing. The only time I would be concerned about a bulge would be if everything available to shot >is forever inaccurate or scattered about on target.
    Just a thought. " If you can see over the bulge to aim and hit the mark intended. "Your good to go" _

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master pietro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hawkenhunter50 View Post

    any ballpark ideas money wise what a rebore would cost ?

    If shooting, or simply keeping, the bulged barrel doesn't work out for you, it would be much cheaper to just buy another .50cal T/C Hawken (or Renegade) barrel of the same size (some .50's had 15/16" thick barrels, others 1" thick), as they're about $70 (+/-) @ online auction websites.

    There are several .50cal T/C Hawken barrels F/S on evil-bay right now for $70 (+/-): http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thompson-Cen...-/251706574986



    .
    Last edited by pietro; 03-17-2017 at 10:10 PM.
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  18. #18
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    there's a Hawken barrel on gunbroker now for $125.00 that's about what it will cost to have yours re-bored and even after reborin' yours it will still have the bulge in it.

  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master Good Cheer's Avatar
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    I'd have a hard time not day dreaming about the barrel I wanted made.

  20. #20
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    The bulge doesnt seem too bad to me, it is noticeable to the eye if you look closely, definitely noticeable by feel. I have no other experience with bulges to compare a minor one to a major one. It seems like the majority feel it would be safe so I believe I will test it to see if its still acceptable for accuracy. If it is not and I decide to try a rebore, does any one have Mr Hoyts contact info?

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check